Grey
by DarkestRoseJasmine
Summary: The world isn't totally divided in black and white, some parts are grey. And Tom decides to tell Hermione that. One shot.


**This is my first on shot that would be finished and not deleted. The plot is set in the 1940s. This is _not_ a time-travel fic. Hermione is the daughter of Abeforth Dumbledore, and Albus Dumbledore is her uncle. Tom is very OOC in this story. Hope you like it. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **The Great Hall**_

It was a bright Saturday morning, and Hermione was enjoying the company of her friends and the delicious breakfast the elves had provided. That is, until her mood was ruined by a voice, calling her name.

"Dumbledore!"

Hermione groaned, her appetite instantly gone, and buried her face in her hands.

"Please don't let it be Riddle. Please don't let it be Riddle..." She chanted in a muffled voice.

Kelly Patil patted her sympathetically on the back." You know, I _would_ feel sorry for you, if Riddle wasn't so hot."

"He is _not_ hot." Hermione mumbled." He is a slimy, ugly, stupid, arrogant, stuck up, good for nothing git. And the world would be better off without him."

"Do you really think of me like that? Hermione, _dearest_ , how could you say such a thing! I could just _hear_ my poor heart breaking at your words. I am sooooo hurt." Tom Riddle, appearing out of nowhere, feigned a hurt look at Hermione's back.

The girl in question gave a resigned sigh, and lifted her face from her folded arms. It was a little flushed.

""What do you want _now_ Riddle." Hermione sighed, exasperated. He had been pestering her about going to Hogsmead with him for _weeks_ , and she was not so pleased about it. To say it lightly.

And now, he chose to corner her during lunch, with the whole hall watching, including those silly fan girls he has.

"We, are going to have a talk," came the reply.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. This was different. But she wasn't silly enough to think that this means that Riddle had finally decided to stop. No, he must be plotting something else." And why, Riddle, do you assume that I would like to talk to you?"

"You're doing it now, aren't you?" A smirk appeared at the corner of his lips. Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose, annoyed. _Stupid damn Slytherin!_ She thought to herself. But after a pause, she got up.

"Lead the way."

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Riddle led them to the common room they've been sharing over the past year- the heads' dorm.

"What do you want Riddle?" Hermione demanded, sitting down on one of the armchairs close to the fire.

"Go out with me." Came the simple reply.

Hermione rubbed her temples. He was driving her crazy.

"For the nth. time," she said." I am not _going out with you._ We would never work."

"Why would you think that?" He raised an eyebrow, his perfectly sculpted face concealing all emotions. Just looking at that beautiful face made her heartbeat quicken, and those eyes, those mysterious, heavenly beautiful sapphire blue eyes, lined with black...

 _Pull yourself together Hermione._ She chanted to herself. _Besides, even if you do like him, uncle Al and daddy would hardly agree._

"Because... my father and uncle wouldn't agree even if I do like you."

"Well, as long as _you_ agree, I'm sure that wouldn't be much of a problem." He moved a step closer, a smirk on his face.

"It's your choice, Ms. Dumbledore. Just yours."

Hermione gulped, for part of her really _really_ wanted to go out with him, but she isn't blind. She knows he holds meetings with his "knights", knows that he tortures younger students for fun.

"I can't." She exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding." Our believes... they're too different. Us... we would never work."

"Our believes? Oh please Dumbledore, you don't actually think that the world is totally divided in black and white do you?" His eyes widened at her blush, then laughed." Honestly Dumbledore, _Hermione_ , for someone so clever, you're awful... slow sometimes."

"I am not slow." She ground through clenched teeth. To think that someone in their right minds actually called her, Hermione Kendra Ariana Dumbledore, brightest witch of her age slow, it was... _unthinkable_. And she was not pleased. At all.

But, being the lady she was, she asked politely, or as politely as she could muster through all her anger," then, pray tell, why."

Riddle took another step forward, so that he was leaning over her, his arms forming a cage around her, his face mere inches from hers. She could feel his cool breath tickling her face, his smell was minty, with a smell of forest trees clinging to it.

"Did you ever think that what your uncle did was right? Every bit of it? I have killed, but so did he."

"There is no black or white in this world, Hermione, it depends on how you think it, and whose side you're on. And once you're rid of that, you'll find that there will always be a shade of grey in the fabric. No one is totally good, or totally evil, which is why most people are grey."

He pressed his lips to hers for a second, then pulled back.

"Tell me when you've made your decision." Tom flashed her another smirk, then climbed out of the portrait hole.

Hermione sat there, dazed, for once not knowing what to do.

 _What the hell had happened?!_

* * *

 **I hope you like this story, for I'm really beginning to love writing one shots. There might be a sequel, but I haven't yet decided.**

 **~ Jasmine**


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